The Waterfalls of Potami

Samos doesn’t have beaches and blue seas only. As an island, someone would expect to see sand, pebbles, waves and sea…

But Samos hides many-many surprises for you! Its rich nature and its high mountains have created streams, rivers, and waterfalls! Exactly!

Just 3 kilometers away of Karlovasi, in “Potami” (“River”) area, the famous natural waterfalls of Samos are located. The waterfalls have an outstanding natural beauty and form two small lakes, ideal for those enjoying swimming in cold, almost icy, waters.

In order to visit and admire the waterfalls, you have to drive all the way to Potami and then walk an additional distance (1,5 km long), passing by the Church of the Transfiguration (the oldest church of the island, which dates back to the 11th century). The walk by the river is amazing. The path shifts from the left to the right riverbed and vice versa continuously, while the whole landscape cannot be sated even if someone had… two pairs of eyes! Those who have visited the “Butterflies” of Rhodes will probably feel melancholic, because the area is listed as one of the most beautiful places of Greece. This is wrong, because the beauty of the waterfalls of Samos is incomparable! The only think that missing is the butterflies…

Arriving at the first of the two lake, you have to enter and walk inside its cold waters (be careful how you carry your cameras and belongings), through a fifty (50) meters long channel (water can reach as high as your chest) until you reach the first waterfall (2-2,5 meters high). If you are adventurous and agile you might wish to try climbing the waterfall in order to continue exploring…

The bulk of the visitors stop there. In the past a rope was installed in order to assist with the climbing, but it has been removed.

Returning to the point where the channel begins, on your left-hand side, you’ll see 50-60 wooden steps. Take the steps and you’ll find yourself in front of a … wooden tavern (right in the middle of nowhere!), which blends-in harmoniously with the sounding environment. In the tavern you can rest, relax and catch your breath! Do not be tempted to eat a snack, because the tour around the waterfalls has just begun and you need to be fit!

Walking by and leaving behind you the tavern, you reach, once again, the river, which leads to the big waterfall, but you have to swim some 50 meters, because, at that point the water deepens and you cannot cross the distance by walking. Make sure you have your swimsuit ready, dive and enjoy swimming in this, five (5) meters high, waterfall. The experience will be unforgettable, while when you decide to take the road back you can always enjoy a tasty omelet, as we did…